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Reports: Salam to Announce 14-Member Cabinet Next Week

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam is planning to form a 14-member cabinet to avoid the demands of the March 8 alliance to get a veto power in a government made up of 24 ministers, local dailies reported on Saturday.

An Nahar daily quoted sources following up Salam's consultations with the country's major parties as saying that the talks left him with limited choices, including the 14-member cabinet that should be dubbed as a “public opinion” government.

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Ibrahim Says Pilgrims Case on 'Right Track', to Visit Syria Soon

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim on Friday confirmed that “positive steps have been made over the past hours” in the case of the abducted Lebanese pilgrims, noting that the issue is on “the right track.”

Meanwhile, LBCI television quoted Ibrahim as saying that he would visit Syria soon for talks over the abductees.

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U.S. Envoy Meets Miqati, Calls for Avoiding Actions that Worsen Syria Crisis

U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Lebanon Richard M. Mills Jr. met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Friday, urging “all parties in the region” to avoid any actions that would “exacerbate the crisis in Syria.”

Miqati and Mills discussed bilateral relations as well as the security situation in Lebanon and regional events, according to a statement issued by the U.S. embassy.

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Suleiman: Baabda Declaration, Defense Strategy Protect Lebanon against Aggression

President Michel Suleiman stated on Friday that Lebanon's economy and democratic system will protect it against challenges.

He added: “The Baabda Declaration and a defense strategy that places the resistance's arms at the will of the army will protect Lebanon against any Israeli assault.”

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National Struggle Front Meets Berri: Forming New Govt. Necessary or We Will All Pay the Price

A delegation from MP Walid Jumblat's National Struggle Front held talks on Friday with Speaker Nabih Berri on the efforts to reach an agreement over a new government and parliamentary electoral law.

Caretaker Transportation and Public Works Minister Ghazi al-Aridi said after the meeting: “We must reach an agreement over a new government formula and electoral law otherwise all sides will pay the price of their actions.”

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Phalange Delegation Continues Tour on Party Leaders to Discuss Neutrality Draft-Law

A Phalange Party delegation continued on Friday a tour on Lebanese rival groups to discuss the initiative proposed by the party to introduce a constitutional amendment, which calls for neutrality and dissociate the country from the conflicts surrounding it.

“We are trying to attain the largest support for our proposal,” Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel said after talks with the head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, Fouad Saniora.

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Nine Charged with Seeking to Carry out Terrorist Attacks in Lebanon

Nine people were charged on Friday with enlisting in an armed group to carry out terrorist attacks, said the National News Agency.

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged two Lebanese people and seven Syrian and Palestinian nationals with enlisting in the armed group and committing crimes against people.

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Gemayel: Christians are Facing Dangerous Situation in Syria, Region

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel warned on Friday against what he described as “a dangerous reality” facing the Christians in Syria and the region, and called on the international community to stop the bloodshed and stop oppression against the Christians, the state-run National News Agency quoted him as saying from Rome.

“I call on the international community to stop the bloodshed, protect emerging democracies, and halt the aggression against the Christians,” said Gemayel.

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Report: Vacancies Emerge in Military Council as Qahwaji May Request to Assume its Duties

Vacancies emerged in the six-member Military Council with the retirement of three of its members, reported al-Akhbar newspaper Friday.

It reported that the development “may prompt Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji to request assuming its duties and responsibilities.”

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Makari: Nasrallah Has Shut the Door on Govt. Negotiations

Deputy Speaker MP Farid Makari noted that Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's recent speech reflects the party's ongoing efforts to obstruct the formation of a government, reported the daily An Nahar Friday.

He told the daily: “He shut the door on the negotiations to form a new cabinet through refusing to relinquish his camp's conditions.”

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